My time as a ride attendent at Lagoon

During my time at Lagoon, I primarily worked at the Wild Kingdom Train ride—an attraction that has been running since 1967, featuring a zoo-like setting where animals roam along the train tracks for guests to observe. My role involved assisting guests as they boarded and exited the train, ensuring their safety while at the station, helping ADA guests with boarding accommodations, and managing the train crossing.

I genuinely enjoyed the job and appreciated the coworkers I had the privilege of working alongside. However, my experience with guests was often challenging. While there were occasional moments of kindness or wholesome interactions, the majority of my guest encounters were frustrating. One of my key responsibilities was to ensure that the station gates remained closed until the train came to a complete stop—only I was authorized to open them. Unfortunately, impatient guests often disregarded this rule, attempting to open the gates themselves. When I intervened, reminding them to wait, many reacted with irritation, offering remarks like, “I’m just trying to make your job easier” or “I can open the gate on my own.” In reality, their impatience made my job more difficult—if a guest were to get hurt opening the gate prematurely, I could face serious repercussions, including losing my job. At times, it felt as though certain guests didn’t see me as a person but merely as an obstacle in their way.

Toward the end of the season, I transitioned to working at Primordial, handing out 3D glasses to riders. This proved to be a much more positive experience, as guests were generally more appreciative and far less difficult to deal with. The preparation and engineering behind Primordial were fascinating, and if you ever get the chance to see the inner workings of that attraction, I highly recommend it—I would have loved to learn more myself.

Overall, my time at Lagoon was valuable. As a first job, it provided good experience, but given the frequent challenges with guest interactions, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to others.